


Til you start again

by Lleu



Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-26
Updated: 2013-08-26
Packaged: 2017-12-24 18:07:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/943027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lleu/pseuds/Lleu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>You don’t notice you’ve stopped breathing</em>
  <br/><em>til you start again, and</em>
  <br/><em>thoughts come back.</em>
</p>
<p>When Elgion returns from Benden Weyr post-Fall, during <em>Dragonsong</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Til you start again

**Author's Note:**

> Title and epigram from Sue MacLeod's poem "By Some Instinctive Choreography".

The first time Elgion kissed him, the harper, for all his worldliness and knowing smiles, came away looking just as surprised and dazed as Alemi felt. As soon as Yanus had released him from what felt uncomfortably like an interrogation, Elgion made his way to the chamber where Alemi slept. Alemi rose as the harper entered, but before he could say anything, Elgion had crossed the distance between them and placed his lips firmly on Alemi's.

"Well," was all Alemi could say.

"Hm," Elgion agreed.

"What—" Alemi cleared his throat. "What was that for?"

"That was for you," Elgion said, reaching out to brush a finger along Alemi's cheek. "I'm sorry to have made you worry. I didn't realize I'd strayed so far and so long."

"Yanus was almost as frantic as I was," Alemi said, smiling ruefully.

"Almost." Elgion smiled back at him.

"When word came back through the wings that you were all right—I've never been so relieved. If Thread had gotten you..." He trailed off. "I don't know what I would have done. Without you."

"Nor I," Elgion said softly. "When I realized I was too far from the Hold to reach it before...before the leading edge arrived, I...thought of you. Everything I wished I could have told you. Things I never got a chance to do."

"Like kissing me," Alemi said, and Elgion looked up, but he could see Alemi was teasing him. Still, Elgion went on.

"If I presumed too much, all you have to do is tell me, and we'll never speak of it again," Elgion said hurriedly. And then Alemi leaned in and kissed _him_. It was a sweet, slow kiss.

"You weren't wrong," Alemi said. "I'd just never have had the words for this—whatever it is—until now. I suppose I still don't. But it's real. It's something."

"It is something," Elgion agreed, and by silent agreement they kissed again. Other kisses followed after, faster and a little more desperate after this brush with death.


End file.
